Circuit-controller for explosion-engines.



No. 800,418. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.. R. VARLBY.

OIROUIT CONTROLLER FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

z 1mm 7 8 s a; 82 6* N0- 800,418. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. R. VARLBY.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB.8,1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I awuo/wbo c W W 4 (Z M 2 7 M m? WW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD VARLEY, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOOOIL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF bElV JERSEY.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER FOR EXPLOSlON-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed February 8, 1905. $e1'ia1 No. 244,719.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD VARLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controllers for Explosion-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to circuit-controllers adapted for the control of the ignition-circuit of explosion-engines. The electrical apparatus for supplying what is known as the jump-spark for igniting the explosive charge in such engines usually consists of an ind uction-coil whose primary circuit includes a battery, a circuit-closer to be actuated automatically by the engine at the instant the charge is to be fired, and a hand-switch, while the secondary circuit leads to the cylinder of the engine and has its terminals approaching each other-therein, so that when a current is induced in the secondary circuit a spark will jump across the terminals and fire the charge. It is also common to use in connection with this apparatus a vibrating circuit-controller actuated by the magnetism of the inductioncoil whenever the primary circuit is closed and the function of which is to give a series of interruptions of the primary current and a consequent series or torrent of sparks at the terminals of the secondary during the interval that the primary circuit is elsewhere closed.

The ordinary type of circuit-closer for the primary circuit is-a mechanical device, such as a cam placed upon one of the shafts of the engine at such a point that a spring or similar circuit-controlling element will be actuated at the right instant in the rotation to ignite the charge. These mechanical circuitcontrollers require an appreciable amount of time in their engagement, dwell, and disengagement with the spring or other actuated device,dependingin a given construction upon the speed of the shaft, so that during a large part of the operation of the engine the interval during which the circuit is closed is longer than is actually necessary to ignite the charge, the surplus of the period of closure resulting in an unnecessary consumption of the battery.

In an application for patent filed by me October 31, 1904, Serial No. 230,692, I have described a circuit-controller adapted to auto matically open the primary circuit after a predetermined interval of closure regardless of the fact that the circuit-closer itself may still be in its closed condition, the device being used in connection with means for advancing or retarding the spark in accordance with changes of speed of the engine. The device of that application is a compensating device, which regulates the duration of closure of the circuit, so that it will be constant for all speeds of the engine. It has been found, however, that after an explosion-engine has been run up to its highest speed, where the spark is advanced to the extreme degree, it is the custom to accomplish a slowing down of the engine merely by throttling the explosive mixture without disturbing the point at which ignition takes place. Likewise it sometimes occurs that a load suddenly thrown on the engine, such as encountering a grade, (if the engine is driving a vehicle) will cause the speed to lessen from its highest point. It will therefore be seen that since the compensating device is not actuated during this reduction of speed the duration of the closed circuit will be longer than is necessary to ignite the mixture and a useless consumption of the battery will take place.

Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide means for actuating the compensator on those occasions when the speed of the engine is reduced from the highest point by merely throttling the mixture or by extra load, so that the consumption of battery on those occasions will be only such as is necessary to ignite the charge and no more than occurs under the ordinary conditions of speed regulation.

In the application before referred to the advance of the spark or the point in the rotation of the engine at which the circuit is closed is accompanied by a lesser advance of the point cuit is opened in proportion to the increase of speed accompanying the advance of the closure, which therefore maintains the duration of closure constant. In the present case after the circuit-closer has been advanced to its extreme position for high speed it remains fixed at that point while the movement of the circuit-opener may continue coincident or not with a throttling of the fuel mixture.

My invention also comprehends a cooperation between the throttling-valve for the mixture and the circuit opener, so that their movements may be in proportion to each other.

\ in the rotation of the engine where the cir- The invention, however, is not limited to this cooperation, it being possible to actuate the throttle independently of the circuit-opener, but not with the certainty of obtaining the same proportion of movements.

A device for carrying out the present invention is illustrated in the accompai'iying drawings, in which Figures 1, 2, and 3 are front elevations showing the adjustment of the parts for different speeds. Fig. 1 is a detail. tieal section of the device. Fig. 6 is a modification, and Fig. 7 is a diagram of the circuits.

1 indicates the shaft of an ex 'ilosive-engine, upon which is fastened two cam-disks 2 and 3, respectively, the latter being insulated from the former, as clearly shown in Fig. at. Disk 2 is provided on its periphery with a lug 4, while disk 3 is provided on its periphery with four lugs 5 5, &c., the same being spaced ninety degrees apart. Loosely centered upon the shaft 1 is a disk 6, having upon its periphery a gear-segment and from which extend four arms 7 7, &c., each carrying at their extremities two spring-blades 8 9, insulated from each other by non-conducting material 10' and all arranged in the same plane with the disk 2 and so that the inner blade of each pair, which carries a lug 10, will be in the path of movement of the single cam projection 4: on said disk 2. The opposing faces of each pair of blades 8 and 9 carry on their extremities platinum contact-points 11, which are adapted to be thrown into contact when the projection 4 strikes the lug 10. Next to the disk 6 is another disk 12, provided with a gearsegment, but of a greater pitch diameter than that on the disk 6. Disk 12 also carries an arm 13, projecting outward and having attached to its extremity a bracket 14:, carrying an insulated blade 15, to which isattached a lug 16, arranged in the path of movementof the four lugs 5 on disk 3. At the extremity of blade 15 is a platinum contact 16, normally resting against a similar contact on the bracket 14. It will be seen that by rotating the disks 6 and 12 upon their centers the angular positions at which the rotating cams 2 and 3 will strike the respective blades can be predetermined. For accomplishing such adjustment two pinions or portions thereof, 17 and 18, are provided and mounted upon a single stud-axle 19. The pinion 17 is of greater pitch diameter than 18 and is in mesh with disk 6, while 18 is in mesh with disk 12. Each pinion has an extension or crank-arm 20 and 21, lying face to face and in the same radial plane and forming a crank or lever by which the pinions can be turned on their axes. The extension 20 is normally held against a pin 22, so as to be in line with the extension 21, by a spring 23, which, it will be seen, permits the extension 21 to be swung in one direction independently of the extension 20 in case the latter is de- 1 manipulation by hand.

Fig. & is a ver- Fig. 1s a plan.

The device herein particularly described is adapted for a four-cylinder explosion-engine,

each pair of blades 8 9 corresponding to one of the cylinders and being the circuit-closer for the primary circuit of the induction-coil that creates the spark in that cylinder. The blade 15 is common to all of the cylinders, being a circuit-opener whose function is to open the primary circuit of each cylinder at a delinite and predetermined interval after it has been closed by one of the pair of blades 8 9. The relative position of the blade 15 around the center with respect to that of the blades 8 9 and in connection with the speed of the engine deteri'nines the duration of each closure of the circuit. It being the intention to have the actual duration of closure the same at all speeds, it is evident that for the slower speeds the are or angle between a given circuit-closer and the circuit-o 'iener will be smaller than for the higher speeds. Hence when the circuit-closing blades 8 9 are advanced through a certain arc to increase the speed the blade 15 must be moved through a greater are corresponding to such increase of speed, and vice versa. This method of control is accomplished by pulling or pushing to the required extent upon the rod 24. Such manipulation causes both pinions 17 and 18 to partially rotate the disks 6 and 12, but to different extents, one of those disks carrying the circuit-closii'ig blades 8 9, as described, and the other the circuit-opening blade 15. Referring now to Fig. 6, the circuits affected by this operation are illustrated. The ind uction-coils for each cylinder of the engine are indicated by 25, 26. 27, and 28. The primary winding of each coil is connected by wire 29 with the battery 30, the other side of said battery being connected through wire 31 with the circuit-opening blade 15. The opposite terminal of each primary winding leads through the usual vibrator 32 and by wires 33, 34, 35, and 36 to the respective blades 8 of the circuit-closers. The blades 9 opposed to said circuit-closers are all grounded to the frame of the machine. Each vibrator 32 is shunted by a condenser 37, and the secondaries of the respective inductioncoils lead to the symrk-terminals 38* in the respective engine-cylinders in the usual manner.

Describing the operation of adjusting the ignition to the speed ordinarily, it is pointed out that with the position of the parts shown the circuit is closed through the primary of induction-coil 26 by the cam projection on disk 2 engaging the upper pair of springs 8 9 and forcing them together. This circuit may be traced as follows: from the battery IIO by wire 29, primary of induction-coil 26, wire 34:, blade 8, and blade 9 to frame, thence from frame to bracket 14, blade 15, and wire 31 to the battery. While thecircuit is still closed by the blades 8 9 one of the lugs 5 on disk 3 strikes blade 15 and opens the circuit above traced at the point 16. While the circuit is closed the vibrator of coil 26 is active and a torrent of sparks is created at the terminals 38 in the cylinder. After a sufficient time has elapsed for the proper ignition of the charge the circuit is opened at 16 to avoid further and useless consumption of the battery due to longer dwell of the contacts on the blades 8 and 9. In increasing the speed of the engine the four sets of blades 8 9 are swung around the center on which they are mounted to advance the point of closure of the circuit for the respective cylinders. At the same time by reason of the differential gearing the blade 15 is advanced, but to a less extent, so that at the higher speed the lug 5 will correspondingly be later in engaging blade 15 and the actual time between closing and opening will be the same as before. This manipulation continues for all speeds up to the highest at which the engine runs. At that point the position of the parts is as shown in Fig. 2, where the pinion 17, controlling the adjustment of theblades 8 9, impinges against the stop 38, so that further movement of the extension 21 to the right will be unaccompanied by the pinion 17 and only pinion 18 and disk 12 will be moved. In making the advances it is evident that since the blade 15 is moved more slowly than the blades 8 9 blade 15 for each new position is, in effect, moved away from the cams 5, althouglnin fact, approaching them, so that with respect to a given closure at the blades 8 9 the cams 5 must travel correspondingly farther before one of them opens the circuit. This is why, at the advanced speed, the duration of closure remains the same. Now if the practice is resorted to of slowing down the engine by merely throttling the supply of mixture or if the engine itself slows down because of an extra load upon it it will be seen that the slowerspeed will increase the duration of the closed-circuit condition, since the operating-cam 5 will be longer in reaching the blade 15 and a useless consumption of battery take place. To avoid this it is proposed when purposely reducing speed to throttle the mixture with the same rod 2% as was before used to advance the spark and to utilize these movements of rod 2 & to shift the circuit-opening blade 15 along to meet the cams 5 earlier, and thereby open the batterycircuit earlier in the rotation. Therefore when the engine has been put to its highest speed and the spark or point of circuit closure is atthe greatest point of advancement the pinion 17 comes into contact with the stop 38 and is prevented from moving further in that direction. This position is indicated in Fig.

been reduced a certain extent 2. Further movements of the rod 24 in the same direct-ion result in moving only the extension 21 independently of the extension 20, in consequence of which the disk 12 and the blade 15 are alone moved in a direction opposite or to meet the cams it may be assumed that the throttlevalve, (shown at 75, Fig. 1, in dotted lines, as a butterfly-valve) controlling the mixture is operated by shaft 39, upon which is arranged a crank 10, whose crank-pin 4:1 is in the path of movement of the extension 21. and that said extension engages the crank-pin at or about the time when pinion 17 is engaged by the stop 38. Now as the motion of rod 2 t continues the speed of the engine is lessened, and in order that the dwell of the contact between springs 8 and 9 shall not be prolonged the blade 15 has been carried in a direction to meet the cams 5 sooner, and thus open the circuit after substantialh the same interval of closure as before. It is possible with this device to maintain a substantially uniform consumption of the battery regardless of how the speed of the engine is controlled.

It is obvious that the throttle-valve may be manipulated after the speed of the engine has reached its highest point independei'itly of the further shifting of the circuitopening blade 15, in which case some judgment would have to be exercised as to the shifting of the blade 15 to compensate for the speed of the engine. For instance, when the speed has the blade 15 couldthen be shifted until the engine skipped an explosion. Then by a slight adjustment in the opposite direction the dwell of the contact or duration of closure would be accurate for the speed. A different way of operating this throttle is shown in Fig. 6, wherein 39 is the throttle-mlve shaft or stem, having a squared portion (dotted lines) over which fits a crank 12. Adjacent to this crank, but pivoted loosely on the shaft, is the crank a3, extending into the path of a tappet as on rod 2% and normally resting against astop a5 and against a pin 46 on crank &2. A spring 5L7, connecting the two cranks together, is strong enough to transmit movement from one to the other to rotate shaft39.

48 is a detaining-rod connecting with crank L2 and passing through a guide containing a clamping-screw 49, by which movement of crank 42 and shaft 39 can be prevented or not, at will.

The tappet is arranged to engage crank as at the point of highest speed. If then it is desired to throttle and cut off the battery at the same time and in proportion, the clamp 49 is released and the movement of rod 2st to the right is accompanied by both cranks and the throttle-shaft, as well as by the blade 15. If the speed of the engine reduces from the highest by reason of an overload, the mixture should not be throttled, but the cutoff blade 15 should be advanced to compensate for the lower speed. The operator then clamps the screw as upon rod 4:8 and locks the throttlevalve, after which the movement of rod A carries with it only the crank i3 (spring et? yielding to permit this movement) and the cut off blade 15. Thus any reduction 01 speed below the highest, whether brought about manually or by imposed. loads, can be compen sated for in the ignition-circuit to conserve the battery power.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A circuit-controller for explosive-en gines comprising a circuit-closer and a circuitopener with means for simultaneously shifting both of them so that the instant at which they shall be actuated in the cycle of the engine may be altered, in combination with means for shifting the circuit-opener independently of the circuit-closer and simultaneously; ltering the speed of the engine.

2. A circuit-controller for the ignition-circuit of explosion-engines comprising automatic means for closing a circuit and separate means for opening the circuit, in combination with means whereby the interval between the actuation of said devices can be adjusted in accordance with variations in speed of the en gine and means whereby said circuit-opening device alone can be actuated simultai'ieously with the throttling of the explosive mixture.

3. A circuit-controller for explosive-em gines comprising a circuit closing device, means for shifting the same so that it may be actuated at dili'erent instants in the cycle of the engine, a circuit-opening device also adjustable so that it may be actuated at dilierent instants in the cycle of the engine and with respect to the adjustment of the circuit-closing device, means fol-shiftingthecircuit-openingdevice indepemlently of the circuit-closing device and for simultaneously tlirottling the fuel mixture of the engine.

at. The combination of two gears, one car rying a circuit-closer and the other a circuitbreaker, two pinions respectively engaging said gears, radial projections from said pinions, a spring connecting such projections together, means for moving one of said projections, a stop preventing the movement of the other and an engine-controlling device actuated by the independent movement of one of the projections.

5. A circuitcontroller tor explosion engines comprising two circuit-altering devices adapted to operate successively upon the 5 same circuit, means for adjusting the time interval between the operations of said devices and means whereby the fuel-supply to the engine may be controlled simultaneously with the adjustment of one of said circuit-altering devices.

6. An ignition circuit for explosive engines containing a circuitcloser, means For advancing said circuit-closer, a circuitopene' adapted to control the same circuit, means for shifting the circuit-opener so that the period of closure will remain constant for all speeds of the engine, means for slowing down the engine imlependently ol the advancing means, and means for shifting said circuit-opener to compensate for such slowing down of the engine.

7. A circuit controller for explosion engines comprising a circuit-opciiing and a circuit-closing device adapted to operate upon the same circuit, means whereby the same will be actuated successively, means for simultaneously and unequally shifting the instants in the cycle of the engine when said devices shall be operated and means whereby the circuitopening device can be actuated independently ol' the circuit-closing device.

8. A circuit-controller tor explosive-engines comprising a circuit-closer and a circuit-opener with means for simultaneously shitting both of them so that the instant at which they shall be actuated in the cycle of the engine may be altered, in combination with means for shitting the circuit-opener independently ot' the circuit-closer to accompany altered speeds of the engine.

9. A circuit-controller for the ignition-circuit oi explosion-engines comprising automatic means for closing a circuitaiid separate means for opening the circuit, in combination with means wherebythe interval between the actuation of said devices can be adjusted in accordance with variations in speed of the engine and means whereby said circuit-opening device alone can be actuated simultaneously with, or independently of, the throttling of the explosive mixture.

10. A circuit-controller for explosion-engines com 'n-ising two circuit-altering devices adapted to operate successively upon the same circuit, means for adjusting the time in terval between the operations of said devices and means whereby the fuel-supply to the en gine may be optionally controlled simultaneously with the adjustment of one of said circuit-altering devices.

In witness whereoli' .l. subscribe my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ltlUH ARI) V ARLEY. W'itncsses'.

FRANK S. OBER, TALDO M. Climax. 

